Dear CCA Members and Associates,

 

First and foremost, we want to thank you for your interest in participating in the Tidal Decision conference. As most of you know, a large part of the conference is centered on rolling out the results of a study led by a team at the College of Charleston, initiated by CCA, and funded by the South Carolina Aquarium. As we receive the preliminary results of this study we have shared them with several of our members, as well as some key municipalities in the region. We have received strong feedback regarding whom it would be best to share these results with, and how we should do so.

 

At CCA we make every effort to present information to our members and the public while showcasing the positive potential that it brings about. The facts speak for themselves. Climate change and sea level rise have the possibility of being profoundly destructive, and we in no way want to alter or modify the truth of that reality. However, climate projections have produced a level of uncertainty that can be viewed positively or negatively, and we choose to view the situation in a positive light. Our region is being presented with an incredible opportunity to adapt, learn, and progress in the face of climate change. We are excited by this opportunity, and we hope to use the conference and our platform as an organization to instill this enthusiasm in each and every one of you.

 

That being said, at this point we believe not everyone is prepared to digest the type of information we intend to present at the conference in March. Instead, we are planning to introduce the study to a much smaller, hand-picked group of concerned business and municipal leaders.

 

Thus, the Tidal Decision conference itself will be postponed until February 2019, at which time its content will feature solution-driven initiatives. In the meantime we are organizing a strategic planning event for September of 2018. We will organize a roundtable of 30 to 40 attendees whose mission will be to identify practical solutions in line with resiliency and mitigation standards for the Southeast coastal area. This invitation-only event will be much smaller and more hands-on.  It will include a facilitator, municipal and corporate leaders, and experts on sea level rise. Topics to be addressed include, but are not limited to: funding, engineering, project management, contingency planning, community engagement, public private partnerships, risk management, and impact investment. The leadership council created at this event will create a blueprint for the initiatives to be presented at the 2019 conference.

 

We apologize for whatever inconvenience this may have caused for your upcoming schedule. Our Lowcountry Study’s focus on the potential economic effects of sea level rise on coastal communities appears to have started a discussion that many are currently hesitant to enter into. Nonetheless, we believe that this new approach involving a leadership council will have the best long-term effect on the public-private partnerships the conference is meant to foster.   

We thank you again for your interest, and look forward to hearing any comments or questions you might have.

 

 

Respectfully yours,

 

Mark Stenftenagel

CCA President and Co-founder